Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 28) – Presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao will push for responsible mining if he wins the presidency.
“Okay naman ‘yun basta responsible at hindi ka nakakasira ng kalikasan (It’s okay as long as it’s responsible and it will not hurt the environment),” Pacquiao told talk show host Boy Abunda on Friday.
The boxer-turned-politician admitted small scale and open pit mining are harmful to the environment, but he emphasized mining permits should be heavily scrutinized to see their effects on communities.
“In that area, isang license lang magmina tapos may limit lang (only one license should be granted and there should be a limit). Kailangan nakatutok ang ating gobyerno para bantayan ang mga (The government must be focused in monitoring) open pit mining,” Pacquiao said.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently lifted the nationwide ban on open pit mining, which was previously halted by the late Environment Secretary Gina Lopez in 2017.
